Manaus - Culture

MANAUS is the capital of Amazonas, a tropical forest state covering around one and a half million square kilometres. It is also the commercial and physical hub of the entire Amazon region. Most visitors are surprised to learn that Manaus isn't actually on the Amazon at all. Rather it lies on the Rio Negro, six kilometres from the point where that river meets the Solimões to form (as far as Brazilians are concerned) the Rio Amazonas. Just a few hundred metres away from the tranquil life on the rivers, the centre of Manaus perpetually buzzes with energy: always noisy, crowded and confused. 

Everywhere you turn, shops and stalls are selling everything from imported Persian rugs to Taiwanese toys and plastic sunglasses. Escaping from the frenzy is not easy, but there is the occasional quiet corner, and the sights of the port, markets, Opera House and some of the museums make up for the hectic pace in the downtown area. In the port and market areas, where the infamous Porto do Manaus smell is inescapable, pigs and chickens line the streets and there's an atmosphere which seems unchanged in centuries.

For the Amazon hinterland, Manaus has long symbolized "civilization". Traditionally, this meant simply that it was the trading centre, where the hardships of life in the forest could be escaped temporarily and where manufactured commodities to make that life easier could be purchased – metal pots, steel knives, machetes and the like. Virgin jungle seems further from the city these days – just how far really depends on what you want "virgin forest" to mean – but there are still waterways and channels within a short river journey of Manaus where you can find dolphins, alligators, kingfishers and the impression, at least, that man has barely penetrated.

 Indeed, most visitors to Manaus rightly regard a river trip as an essential part of their stay, and there are various jungle tour and lodge options to consider. Even if you can't afford the time to disappear up the Amazon for days at a stretch, however, there are a number of sites around Manaus that make worthwhile day excursions, most notably the meeting of the waters of the yellow Rio Solimões and the black Rio Negro, and the lily-strewn Parque Ecólogico Janauary.

The weather in Manaus is often dramatic. During the rainy season (Jan–June), it pours down for at least one hour every day and the temperatures generally range from 22°C to 30°C, though it feels much more in the humidity. Between July and December, it rains much less, is generally less cloudy and the temperatures fluctuate between 27°C and 40°C.

Today, Manaus is a free port, allowing its shops to offer goods from around the world, duty-free. Here, you can sample a variety of rare tropical fruits and delicious fish like the “tucunaré” and the “pirarucu”, the largest freshwater fish in the world.

Manaus is a modern, growing city, dominating Brazil’s largest frontier. Before the rubber boom of the 19th century, Manaus was a small, insignificant town. With rubber came rich and splendid architectural accomplishments like the Amazonas Theater (completed in 1896 and restored in 1929) with its neoclassic facade and art nouveau interior including paintings by Capranesi and De Angelis. The green, yellow, blue and red dome is made up of tiles of tropical decor. Today, Manaus is a meeting point for people from all over the world.

Shopping is another attraction in Manaus. Imported goods can be purchased in the Free Trade Zone. Local arts and crafts are also readily available throughout the area. Tour boats leave Manaus for day trips to the meeting of waters where the black waters of the Negro River meet the lighter waters of the Solimoes River flowing side by side without mixing for several miles. Visitors can also explore river banks and “igarapés”, swim and canoe in placid lakes, or simply walk in the lush forest.